Rear-sector helmet suspension

ABSTRACT

A universal, rear-sector helmet suspension attachable selectively inside to the rear sectors of various size helmet shells which are characterized by possessing different, generally common patterns, respectively, of plural, pre-established and located host attachment sites including a rear, central host attachment site, and additional, other, laterally-spaced host attachment sites. The suspension includes (a) an elongate, resilient armature which is bendable to form a curved expanse fittable, in a universal manner, closely within the rear-sector insides of the shells in such helmets, and (b) spaced, anchor-accommodating, guest affixing sites including (1) a longitudinally central, position-locating guest affixing site which is commonly employable with the rear, central locating host attachment sites in all such helmet shells to anchor the armature positionally in place in such shells, and (b) plural, range-accommodating other guest affixing sites which freely accommodate further attachable fitment of the armature, on a one-to-one basis, at the respective locations of the other host attachment sites in such shells.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to currently pending, prior-filed U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/676,178, filed Apr. 28, 2005,for “Rear-Sector Helmet Suspension”. The entire disclosure content ofthat provisional application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a rear-sector helmet suspension which takesthe form of a distinctly characterized, special-purpose improvement overa predecessor suspension described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,409 B2. Theinformation content of that patent is, accordingly, incorporated hereinby reference for the purpose of providing useful background informationin relation to understanding the offerings of the present invention.

The present invention more particularly constitutes, in relation to thesuspension described in the above-mentioned '409 patent, a special-caseimprovement regarding smaller-version suspension inserts for use in theshells of certain kinds of helmets, such as military helmets, wherein itis, for various reasons, desirable to provide an independent,helmet-shell-attached suspension for the rear ends only of lateralstraps that form part of a military helmet chin-strap system, withoutalso providing a special independent suspension for the front ends ofthose same straps. The referenced prior patent devotes attention to asituation where a full, wrap-around (larger-version) internalhelmet-shell suspension is desired, not only to accommodate the rearends of elongate, lateral chin-strap elements, but also to handle thefront ends of those same straps. The present invention, by way ofcontrast, focuses attention on providing a special-purpose,rear-sector-only chin-strap accommodating suspension.

Accordingly, for the purpose of disclosure herein, and recognizing thatmodifications of the invention may be made for installation and use invarious other types of helmets, a preferred and best mode embodiment ofthe present invention is illustrated and described herein specificallyin the setting of a military helmet and its shell—a setting wherein thespecial suspension offered by this invention has been found to offerparticularly utility. In particular, the invention is intended for usein, and with respect to, different helmet sizes in what is called hereina user-defined range of sizes of helmet shells, which shells arecharacterized as possessing a generally common pattern of plural,pre-established and located, spaced attachment sites, referred to ashost attaching sites. Those skilled in the art will recognize that suchconventionally provided, spaced attachment sites have different specificlocations and spacings that relate to different helmet-shell sizes. Aswill be seen, the present invention handily and successfully deals withthis “variability” situation.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a bendable andresilient suspension which is deployed (when in use) curving around onlythe rear sector of a helmet-shell interior. This special-purposesuspension includes, as will be seen, plural, unique, orthogonallyrelated, “universal”, mounting-accommodating, elongate slots, referredto as affixing sites, that are designed with positions and lengths whichespecially accommodate correctly positionable mounting, on a one-to-onebasis, of the suspension of the invention with respect to a conventionalvariety of already in-place (conventional) helmet-suspensionmounting/attachment sites (typically throughbores) provided in theshells of helmets of various sizes. This universal quality of theinvention allows the same to be installed as a retrofit structure in avery wide variety of different types of helmets' shells, withoutrequiring any additional helmet-shell preparation before such installingcan take place.

The various unique and useful features of the invention will become morefully apparent as the detailed description of the invention whichfollows below is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 provides a very simplified and fragmentary front view of amilitary helmet whose shell has been equipped with a preferred and bestmode embodiment of the rear-sector suspension of the present invention.

FIG. 2 presents a simplified and schematic, downwardly looking plan viewof the helmet shell (represented, at least partially, as a generallyovate, dash-dot-line outline) of FIG. 1, generally showing therear-sector arc of this shell fitted compatibly with the central band,or armature, which forms part of the suspension of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows an isolated and developed view of the rear-sectorsuspension of the invention, per se.

FIG. 4 provides representative, schematic illustrations of different,typical, conventional patterns of host attachment sites that are madeavailable in a typical range, such as a user-defined range, ofhelmet-shell sizes. In particular, this figure shows how the embodimentof the invention pictured herein can utilize those differentsite-arrangement patterns quite easily, with affixing-site elongateslots, or apertures, which are formed in the suspension of the inventioneffectively “lining up” on a one-to-one basis with attachment-sitethroughbores furnished in a range of sizes of helmet shells.

FIG. 5 provides a developed view showing the operative (connective)relationship which is intended to exist between the rear-sectorsuspension of this invention and two lateral, or side, elements of atypical helmet chin-strap harness, such as the chin-strap harnesspictured in FIG. 1. In FIG. 5, the suspension and harness are shownisolated from any helmet shell, and properly positionally disposedadjacent one another, but in an un-interconnected state.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative version of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning attention now to the drawings, and referring first of all toFIG. 3 which isolates for view, in an upright condition, a preferred andbest mode embodiment of the invention, the rear-sector suspension ofthis invention is indicated generally at 10. Suspension 10 includes (a)an elongate, slightly curved, central band, or armature, 10 a, with acurved long axis 10A, (b) a pair of upwardly and centrally disposed,laterally spaced, elongate, document-holding (article-retaining) springfingers, or spring-finger structure, 10 b which extend upwardly about2½-inches, and which are formed integrally with armature 10 a, (c) apair of slightly more widely spaced, downwardly extending, elongate,reversely-bent (and thus nominally horizontal loop-forming) chin-strap,attaching-device holders 10 c which are also formed integrally witharmature 10 a, (d) a central, elongate, upright slot 10 d, and (e) twopairs of substantially same-length, same-width, but laterally andlongitudinally offset, generally horizontally disposed slots 10 e and 10f. Slot 10 d, which herein has a length of about ⅞-inches, is referredto as a “central, position-locating guest-affixing site”. Slots 10 e and10 f each of which herein has a length also of about ⅞-inches, arereferred to herein as “other guest-affixing sites”, with these “other”slots having their long axes oriented generally orthogonally relative tothe long axis of “central” slot 10 d. Collectively, these “guest” sitesare referred to as anchor-accommodating sites. The center-to-centerspacing between slots 10 e is about 8-inches, and that between slightlymore closely spaced slots 10 f is about 7½-inches. Armature 10 a and itsthus-associated other structures are preferably formed from anappropriate, resilient plastic material, such as the fiberglassreinforced polyamide plastic material sold under the trademark Pennite®,made by Penn Fibre Plastics, Inc. in Bensalem, Pa., and having apreferred thickness of about 0.060-inches.

Directing attention now to others of the drawing figures herein, in FIG.1, suspension 10 is shown mounted in place at, and in a bent and curvedcondition along, the rear-sector region 12 b of the shell 12 a in aconventional military helmet 12. Attachment between suspension 10 andthe usually prepared attaching sites (typically throughbores) in shell12 a is established both through slot 10 d, and, depending on theparticular conventional style of this shell, and the specific preparedlocations (pattern) therein of rear, laterally-spaced throughbores,additionally either through bilaterally symmetrically spaced pairedslots 10 e, or alternatively through likewise symmetrically spacedpaired slots 10 f. The lengths and spacings of these paired slots (10e-10 e, 10 f-10 f) in armature 10 a, in relation to the size andlocation of central slot 10 d, is such that, in accordance with thedesign of the present invention, proper alignment will normallydefinitively exist to enable such ready attachment of suspension 10 inmost conventional military helmet shells which typically possess asubstantially common pattern of throughbore attachment sites. Fivedifferent dash-dot lines presented and appropriately labeled in FIG. 2in relation to their respective, associated slots 10 d, 10 e, 10 f,generally illustrate the “lateral”, central locations of the five slotsprovided in suspension armature 10 a.

FIG. 4 shows how these slots “universally” align on a one-to-one basis(i.e., one slot/aperture per throughbore) with different conventionaland relatively common patterns of attachment throughbores in the nearsectors within a range of helmet-shell sizes. Several different, typicalaperture and throughbore one-to-one alignments are illustrated in thisfigure, as follows:

-   -   1. Aperture 10 d aligned with throughbore a, along with        Apertures 10 e aligned with throughbores c, c;    -   2. Aperture 10 d aligned with throughbore a, along with        Apertures 10 e aligned with throughbores d, d;    -   3. Aperture 10 d aligned with throughbore a, along with        Apertures 10 f aligned with throughbores, e, e;    -   4. Aperture 10 d aligned with throughbore a, along with        Apertures 10 f aligned with throughbores f, f;    -   5. Aperture 10 d aligned with throughbore b, along with        Apertures 10 e aligned with throughbores c, c;    -   6. Aperture 10 d aligned with throughbore b, along with        Apertures 10 e aligned with throughbores d, d;    -   7. Aperture 10 d aligned with throughbore b, along with        Apertures 10 e aligned with throughbores e, e; and    -   8. Aperture 10 d aligned with throughbore b, along with        Apertures 10 e aligned with throughbores f,f.

Attachability and attachment of a chin-strap harness with respect tosuspension 10 is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5. Indicated generally inthin-line, schematic character at 14 in FIG. 1 is such a harness whichincludes lateral strap elements 14 a, 14 b, the rear ends of which aresecured to suspension 10 through suitably attached conventional hardware13 and the generally horizontal loops (not specifically shown) formed,as mentioned earlier hereinabove, in the reverse bends existing inattaching-device holders 10 c in suspension 10. A conventional,generally horizontal nape pad is shown fragmentarily at 15 in FIG. 1.This nape pad extends laterally between, and somewhat below, hardware13.

FIG. 5 further illustrates suspension 10 depicted in a condition readyfor attachment to the rear ends of strap elements 14 a, 14 b in harness14.

Turning attention now to FIG. 6, a modified form of the invention isillustrated wherein slot 10 d is not necessarily employed or included,and with respect to which rear, central attachment of the suspension tothe inside of a helmet shell is accommodated by conventional, two-sidedhook-and-pile fastening structure, such as that shown generally at 16.One side of structure 16 is affixed appropriately centrally tohelmet-shell rear-sector 12 b, and the other side is affixedappropriately to the rear central portion of suspension armature 10 a.In this embodiment of the invention, the location in suspension 10 wherethe mentioned “one” side of structure 10 is affixed is referred toherein as a longitudinally central, position-locating guest affixingsite, and the facing location in the rear sector of helmet shell 12 awhere the mentioned “other” side of structure 16 is affixed is referredto as a central locating host attachment site.

The invention thus proposes a unique rear-sector helmet shell suspensionstructure which easily and “universally” fits into place in a range ofdifferent helmet-shell sizes. Very specifically, the several attachingslots (including the central “guest affixing site”, and the other “guestaffixing sites”) slots 10 d, 10 e and 10 f have been sized and locatedin such a fashion that suspension 10 is readily retrofit, or originallyfit, into the shells of a relatively wide variety of helmets, such as inmilitary helmet shell 12 a, without requiring any modification of such ashell. These several slots are designed so that when suspension 10 iscorrectly located near the rear sector of the inside of a helmet shell,three of these affixing-site slots will normally be properly alignedwith commonly available host attaching sites (throughbores) that arealready in place in such a shell (see again FIG. 4 in the drawings).

The suspension of this invention readily accommodates easy andconvenient attachment to it of the rear ends of the usual lateral strapelements in a helmet chin-strap harness. The proposed suspension isquite simple and inexpensive in construction, and may, of course, and assuggested above, be included either as original helmet-shell equipment,or introduced later as retrofit equipment.

Accordingly, while a preferred and best mode embodiment of the inventionhas been illustrated and described herein, and one modificationdiscussed and pictured, it is appreciated that other variations andmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

1. A universal, rear sector helmet suspension attachable selectivelyinside, and directly to, the shells of helmets which are characterizedby different sizes in a user-defined range of sizes, and wherein suchshells have a generally common pattern of plural, pre-established andlocated, spaced host attachment sites with respect to which differentpairs of adjacent such sites have differing specific spacings thatdiffer in a known way in relation to helmet-shell size, and wherein thehost attachment sites include a rear, central locating host attachmentsite, and additional, other, laterally-spaced host attachment sites,said suspension comprising an elongate, resilient armature having a longaxis, bendable to form a curved expanse fittable, in a universal curvingmanner, closely within the rear-sector insides of the shells in suchhelmets, and throughout the mentioned range of helmet sizes, and spaced,anchor-accommodating, guest affixing sites furnished in the armature,including (a) a longitudinally central, position-locating guest affixingsite which is commonly employable with the rear, central locating hostattachment sites in all such helmet shells to anchor the armature inplace in such shells, and (b) plural, range-accommodating, other guestaffixing sites which freely accommodate attachable fitment of thearmature, on a one-to-one basis, at the respective locations of theother host attachment sites in such shells.
 2. The suspension of claim1, wherein said affixing sites take the forms of spaced, elongateapertures formed in and distributed along said armature.
 3. Thesuspension of claim 2 which further includes plural, distributed,chin-strap attaching-device holders formed integrally with saidarmature.
 4. The suspension of claim 2, wherein said central and otherguest affixing sites each takes the form of an elongate aperture havinga long axis, with the long axis of said central guest affixing sitebeing disposed generally normal to said armature's said long axis, andthe long axes of said other guest affixing sites generally parallelingthe armature's said long axis.
 5. The suspension of claim 2 whichfurther includes elongate, article-retaining spring-finger structureformed integrally with, and extending angularly away from the long axisof said armature.
 6. The suspension of claim 5, wherein saidspring-finger structure includes a pair of elongate,side-by-side-adjacent spring fingers.